Looking for recommendations to buy Bike Front and Rear lights

Redfin
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Looking for recommendations to buy Bike Front and Rear lights

Postby Redfin » Tue Nov 21, 2017 11:02 pm

Hi all,

I was looking for recommendations for buying front and rear lights for my Scott Road Bike.
Need something around $60 and needs to be bright so that I am visible and also so I can see ahead of me.
Any recommendations would be highly appreciated.

RobertL
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Re: Looking for recommendations to buy Bike Front and Rear lights

Postby RobertL » Wed Nov 22, 2017 11:07 am

Ride On magazine used to do a lights test every year. Here is the 2017 one: https://rideonmagazine.com.au/best-bike-lights-2017/

Basically, though, almost any rear light is going to be OK.

Front lights depend on where you ride and how well lit it is. I use a 100 lumen light for all general commuting and riding duties - including pre-dawn and post-sunset rides.

I had to upgrade to a 680 lumen front light when I started riding Mt Coot-tha at night here in Brisbane regularly. It's poorly lit and I needed better lighting for the descent.

Then I see plenty of MTBers up there who have far, far more powerful lighting than that, on their bikes and on their helmets.

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g-boaf
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Re: Looking for recommendations to buy Bike Front and Rear lights

Postby g-boaf » Wed Nov 22, 2017 10:07 pm

Might not be at your price range, but consider Ay-Ups for your front lights and go for the bigger battery. Those are very dependable lights. Mine have lasted for god knows how long. And they are very good for long bike rides at night in very dark areas.

Rear lights, Moon tend to do very good ones.

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Kev365428
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Re: Looking for recommendations to buy Bike Front and Rear lights

Postby Kev365428 » Thu Nov 23, 2017 8:48 am

I've had my Ay-Ups for about 6 years now, and whilst they were great to start off with, lately I've started to notice that the beam isn't penetrating like it once used to. Maybe the battery is getting old, or the LED is degrading, but I'm sure it isn't as powerful as it once was.

Might be time for an upgrade.

Kev.

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g-boaf
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Re: Looking for recommendations to buy Bike Front and Rear lights

Postby g-boaf » Thu Nov 23, 2017 9:02 am

Kev365428 wrote:I've had my Ay-Ups for about 6 years now, and whilst they were great to start off with, lately I've started to notice that the beam isn't penetrating like it once used to. Maybe the battery is getting old, or the LED is degrading, but I'm sure it isn't as powerful as it once was.

Might be time for an upgrade.

Kev.
I think you can just buy replacement lights or batteries. Used to be able to anyway.

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find_bruce
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Re: Looking for recommendations to buy Bike Front and Rear lights

Postby find_bruce » Thu Nov 23, 2017 9:47 am

Kev365428 wrote:I've had my Ay-Ups for about 6 years now, and whilst they were great to start off with, lately I've started to notice that the beam isn't penetrating like it once used to. Maybe the battery is getting old, or the LED is degrading, but I'm sure it isn't as powerful as it once was.

Might be time for an upgrade.

Kev.
While its possible for the LEDs to degrade, bike lights aren't used enough to get anywhere near the typical life - 30,000 hours IIRC. The battery will have deteriorated over time, but Ay-Ups don't get dimmer as the battery voltage drops (some other lights do)

What I suspect has happened is that one of the components in the control circuit is dying - . With the Ay-Ups that circuit is in the battery case, so a new battery should fix it - can you borrow a good battery from someone?

Of course it could be your eyes - they are getting older too you know :D
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andrewjcw
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Re: Looking for recommendations to buy Bike Front and Rear lights

Postby andrewjcw » Thu Nov 23, 2017 9:58 am

Hard to recommend ay ups for anyone that's looking for value. Buy if you want to support local business, a cool case and a dependable light. For $60 look for something on a good special from an online retailer or go eBay.
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hamishm
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Re: Looking for recommendations to buy Bike Front and Rear lights

Postby hamishm » Thu Nov 23, 2017 1:50 pm

RobertL wrote:Basically, though, almost any rear light is going to be OK.
Maybe, but some are much better than others. I spent more than the $60 budget on a rear light alone - Cygolite Hotshot Pro 150. If you want to be seen during day (which I recommend) then get something like that, or the Bontrager Flare R, or some other light designed for daylight running.

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mogwaiboi
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Re: Looking for recommendations to buy Bike Front and Rear lights

Postby mogwaiboi » Thu Nov 23, 2017 8:16 pm

For the rear I would highly recommend the Moon Shield. I have had the original version for years and it's very bright. I've had people flag me down to ask what it is. Also look at the Bontrager Flare R as that would be my second choice.

https://www.bikebug.com/moon-shield-x-a ... 70718.html
https://www.trekbikes.com/au/en_AU/equi ... t/p/13202/

For the front I guess it comes down to how long your rides are going to be in the dark. In my opinion you want a minimum of 500W. I had a 500W Moon light but that was at max output and it only lasted an hour. I ended up getting the Moon Meteor Storm Pro 1700W as I wanted a light to last 3 hours at least in winter for PM rides. That way I can run this in 800W mode for around 5 hours. It is a bit heavy , but for training after work, who cares. My second choice was the Cateye Volt 1200. I have heard good things about the Bontrager Ion 800 R as well. I had Ayups but I wasn't a fan of the external battery pack.

http://www.this link is broken.au/moon-meteor-st ... ont-light/
https://www.bikebug.com/cateye-volt1200 ... 35649.html
https://www.trekbikes.com/au/en_AU/equi ... t/p/14302/
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Kev365428
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Re: Looking for recommendations to buy Bike Front and Rear lights

Postby Kev365428 » Sat Nov 25, 2017 7:55 pm

find_bruce wrote:Of course it could be your eyes - they are getting older too you know :D
I deny that I am getting older.

It must be the battery, or the LED, or the increase in particulates in the air, or daylight savings, or the CIA, but it ain't my eyes.

Kev.

warthog1
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Re: Looking for recommendations to buy Bike Front and Rear lights

Postby warthog1 » Sun Nov 26, 2017 9:58 pm

Kev365428 wrote:
find_bruce wrote:Of course it could be your eyes - they are getting older too you know :D
I deny that I am getting older.

It must be the battery, or the LED, or the increase in particulates in the air, or daylight savings, or the CIA, but it ain't my eyes.

Kev.
:lol:
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Dreams V Reallity
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Re: Looking for recommendations to buy Bike Front and Rear lights

Postby Dreams V Reallity » Sun Nov 26, 2017 11:57 pm

I managed to get two moon lights, on special, last year in Darwin. A 200 lumen -3 power levels- for the handlebar, and a 100 lumen -3 power levels- for the helmet. A couple of hours out of each. Unless you ride fast (over my level of 25km/h), 200 is fine around here.

"I deny that I am getting older." :P Try: "To get older is compulsory, to grow up is optional" :lol:
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BugsBunny
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Re: Looking for recommendations to buy Bike Front and Rear lights

Postby BugsBunny » Tue Nov 28, 2017 2:07 pm

I'm a bit of a gadget geek so have tried a few different front and rear lights.

For the rear light, I highly recommend the Bontrager Flare R. The downside is that the flap to close off the micro USB charging port is susceptible to water ingress that will render the light useless. So in heavy rain, you need to add some tape to protect it. Its unfortunate as otherwise its a fantastic light. The pro's are that the battery power if REALLY long in comparison to other rear lights. And lastly, its highly visible during the day time - which I believe adds a big safety buffer.

As for the fronts, the optics really make a difference. Not all lights look as bright or have as much usable light - even if the lumen numbers are the same. The two I recommend at the Cateye Volt 800 and the Bontrager ION 800.

Both are a bit over your budget, but you do get a lot more for the money.

Bugs

kenwstr
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Re: Looking for recommendations to buy Bike Front and Rear lights

Postby kenwstr » Tue Nov 28, 2017 10:52 pm

I have a NiteRider Chery Bomb on the saddle bag.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9RwYVrIw30
This is a truly attention grabbing tail light despite it's 1/2 watts.
It has an usual flash cycle that is impossible to not notice.
The downside is the clip is a bit prone to fail if the road is rough enough to jerk it around a lot.
Apart from that, it's been very reliable.

My headlight is a Bontrager Ion2 headlight. This has a very high flash rate that gets attention without blinding other road users. However it has been a trial trying to get it to work reliably until I finally sprayed electrical contact cleaner into it. Now it's fine but it used to have continuity issues and would go dim or completely fail even though the batteries were fine. It works great now though.

I mostly only ride in daylight and these are the lights I use for that.
Would I recommend them? Well, they are great while they work but in my experience many bike lights fail in some way or other. I have had better reliability from a light I bought at Coles than bicycle branded ones and some real duds as well. Seen some glowing reviews in bike mags but the reality is they were reviewed when new, do they last? Clips and mounts tend to fail frequently so it seems to me a lucky dip. Price doesn't appear to improve the odds either and I have a drawer full of broken lights.

I also have an Aldi headlight which is way brighter and is OK at night but hardly ever do that. It has a separate battery pack so not as convenient but in the country, you are going to need serious light at night. I have to say that as a driver I really passionately hate the lights some cyclists use. Absolutely blinding, I mean I can't see if there is anything on the road in front of me for the blinding glare they put out. Worse than a truck on high beam with driving lights some of them.

Ken

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Re: Looking for recommendations to buy Bike Front and Rear lights

Postby fat and old » Wed Nov 29, 2017 6:24 am

Light and Motion 600 front light. Good enough for 30+ on unlit bike paths. Can be around 60 clams on sale. I've had a few moon rears...never again. BBB now, 20 bucks. Bright, flashes, is red. Neither ever move on rough paths. Oh, and I'm a fan of knogs. In their package. On the bike is a different thing.

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